DESCRIPTION

Technical field of the invention

The present invention is intended to a phytosanitary composition for monitoring and catching plant and/or fruit pests, such as the midge Drosophila suzukii , Pine processionary, Olive fruit fly and so on; a process for the preparation thereof and the use thereof for monitoring the presence and massively catching said insects.

In particular, the present invention is intended to a phytosanitary composition for monitoring and massively catching the midge Drosophila suzukii, a process for the preparation thereof and the use thereof for monitoring the presence and massively catching said insect.

Background of the invention

Drosophila suzukii or small-fruit midge, is an insect belonging to the genus Drosophila, subgenus Sophophora. Probably native to China, it is characterized by big red eyes. The male has a distinct dark spot near the tip of each wing, females do not have this characteristic. Unlike its vinegar fly relatives which are primarily attracted to rotting or fermented fruit, Drosophila suzukii attacks fresh, ripe fruit by using their particularly strong and suitable ovipositor to lay eggs under the fruit's soft skin. The larvae hatch and grow in the fruit, destroying the fruit's commercial value. Drosophila suzukii has become a serious economic threat to small fruits, such as cherries, blueberries and strawberries above all. It has attacked also blackberries, raspberries and wild strawberries, while damages for grapes have been limited to some cultivations with thin skin. Also some bigger fruits such as peaches, apricots, apples, figs and kakis have been attacked.

Initially, local farmers used chemical products and experimental anti-insect nets against the midge. However, the first one has given poor results (as well as being confirmed to be highly polluting) , while the latter have hardly been able to be applied to crops in the hills. Even the biological pest control has not yet been so far, able to provide a satisfactory and definitive solution to the problems caused by the midge Drosophila suzukii.

Similar problems are caused by a number of other plant and/or fruit pest insects, such as, for example, as a non-limiting example, the pine processionary and/or the olive fruit fly and so on, for which it is difficult to identify really effective and environmentally friendly interventions .

Technical issue

Therefore, the field requires a different solution which is able both to adequately monitor the presence and the spread of pests of plants and/or fruits, Drosophila suzukii in particular, and to adequately catch them, possibly massively and at the same time, to be environmentally friendly, that is with minimum impact (preferably almost zero) on the environment and on the operators of the field.

The aim of the present invention is to adequately solve the above-described technical inconvenience.

Summary of the invention

The applicant has found that a suitable composition based on substantially natural products is able to adequately solve the above-described inconvenience.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is a phytosanitary composition comprising a suitable blend of vinegar, wine and/or wine dregs, sugar, as claimed the enclosed independent claim.

Another object of the present invention is a process for the preparation of the above-described composition, as claimed in the enclosed independent claim.

An additional object of the present invention is the use of the said composition for monitoring the presence and massively catching pests, and in particular, Drosophila suzukii, as claimed in the enclosed independent claim.

Other objects of the present invention are described in the enclosed dependent claims.

Detailed disclosure of the invention

The present invention is intended to a liquid phytosanitary composition for monitoring and massively catching plant and/or fruit pests comprising, or consisting of, a blend of substantially natural origin, in which said blend comprises, or consists of, effective amounts of at least:

a) a vinegar;

b) a wine and/or wine dregs;

c) a sugar.

In said composition:

Said vinegar is selected from any type of suitable vinegar (by way of non-limiting example, apple-vinegar, wine-vinegar, and so on) ; more preferably said vinegar is selected from apple- vinegar, because tests carried out proved that the use of apple-vinegar made the composition particularly effective with respect to other varieties of vinegar. Said vinegar is characterized by an acidity degree comprised from 1,5° to 10°; preferably from 2° to 9°, more preferably from 2,5° to 8°; even more preferably 3 °approximately; even more preferably 3,5°. Said vinegar is present in the blend in an effective amount from 60 to 80% by weight; preferably, comprised from 65 to 80% by weight; more preferably, comprised from 70 to 75% by weight; even more preferably approximately 73,5% by weight; even more preferably 73,5% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition .

Said wine and/or wine dregs is selected from a suitable variety of wine and/or wine dregs (by way of non-limiting example, red wine, white wine, dry wine, suave wine, sweet wine and relative wine dregs); more preferably, said wine and/or wine dregs is selected from red wine and/or red wine dregs, because tests carried out proved that the use of red wine and/or red wine dregs made the composition particularly effective with respect to other varieties of wine and/or wine dregs. Said wine and/or wine dregs is characterized by an alcoholic content comprised from 5 and 25 degrees (°); preferably comprised from 7° to 20°; more preferably, comprised between 10° to 15°, even more preferably approximately 12,5°, even more preferably 12,5°. Said wine or wine dregs is present in the blend in an effective amount from 15 to 38% by weight, preferably comprised from 19% to 34% by weight; more preferably, comprised from 20% to 28% by weight, even more preferably approximately 23% by weight; even more preferably, 23% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

Said sugar is selected from an alimentary sugar (for example, sucrose and/or fructose, cane-sugar, beet sugar and the like) ; more preferably raw-cane sugar. Said sugar is present in the blend in an effective amount from 0,25 to 3% by weight, preferably comprised from 0,5 to 2% by weight; more preferably, comprised from 1 to 1,8% by weight; even more preferably approximately 1,5% by weight, even more preferably 1,5% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the blend of the composition as described above further comprises effective amounts of:

d) a fruit flavor and a fruit juice.

In said composition:

said fruit flavor is preferably selected from any fruit flavor; preferably, red-fruit flavor, as for example blueberry and/or redcurrant; more preferably blueberry flavor; even more preferably non-alcoholic blueberry flavor. Said fruit flavor is present in the blend in an effective amount from 0,005 to 0,1% by weight, preferably from 0,01 to 0,05% by weight; more preferably, from 0,015 to 0,03% by weight; even more preferably, approximately 0,02% by weight; even more preferably, 0,02% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition;

said fruit juice is preferably selected from any fruit juice, preferably red-fruit juice, such as blueberry and/or redcurrant; more preferably blueberry juice, even more preferably concentrated blueberry juice, preferably from 30 to 80 brix, more preferably 70 brix. Said fruit juice is present in the blend in an effective amount from 0,5 to 5% by weight; preferably from 1 to 3% by weight, more preferably from 1,5% to 2,5% by weight; even more preferably approximately 1,98% by weight; even more preferably, 1,98% by weight .

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the composition of the present invention consists in a blend consisting of:

a' ) a non-pasteurized and non-filtered apple- vinegar, preferably the apple-vinegar produced by means of the production process described thereinafter;

b' ) a red wine and/or red wine dregs; preferably a non-industrial red wine and or red wine dregs (that is, non-pasteurized and for example, with no added sulfites) but produced in a farm;

c' ) a raw cane-sugar;

d' ) a non-alcoholic blueberry flavor and a concentrated blueberry juice at 70 brix,

in which said components from a' ) to d') have the same chemical-physical properties and are present at the same percent amounts, by weight, respectively, as the previously described components from a) to d) .

In a particularly preferred but non-limiting embodiment, the composition of the present invention has the following percent composition:

- apple-vinegar: 73,5% by weight;

- red wine: 24,5% by weight;

sugar and the other previously described possible components: 2% by weight.

Said composition is characterized by the following features or chemical-physical properties:

State of matter: liquid

Color: red/violet

Smell: cider/acid

pH: ± 3,2

Boiling point: ± 105°C

Density at 20°C: ± 0,9 g/cm ³ The product is not inflammable, it is not explosive and it is water-soluble.

Moreover, this product proved to be fully biodegradable .

Eventually, it is advisable to keep the product away from sun light, in an airy place.

Only by way of non-limiting example of the invention, it is described below one of the preferred processes for the preparation of the particularly preferred phytosanitary composition of the present invention. The possible modifications that can be made to this process to better adapt it to the current needs of the moment, are fully inferable by the skilled person and, as such, fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

A preferred process for the preparation of a phytosanitary composition for monitoring and/or massively catching plant and/or fruit pests, as previously described comprises the following stages: i) preparing an apple juice,

preferably, by means of the following phases:

inspecting and selecting the suitable apples from one type or blend of apple types (that is, all the apple types can be used) ; preferably apples must be ripe and undamaged, apples with more than 15% of damaged and/or rotten surface must be eliminated;

crumbling the apples, by means of mechanical apparatuses, preferably by means of a grinder, a grater, a chopper, selected from those that are well- known and commonly used in the art;

squeezing the crumbled apples, including skin and core; preferably, by means of a squeezing device, such as a hydraulic press, or a belt press, a centrifugal juice extractor, a masticating juice extractor, to give the desired apple juice;

ii) fermenting the apple juice from the stage i) for a suitable period of time, until a desired cider is obtained having a pre-determined alcoholic degree;

preferably at about room temperature or at room temperature, in a suitable container; preferably, said container is a stainless-steel barrel for food use; said fermenting time is preferably comprised from 10 to 20 days (alternatively, it is also possible to add yeast or sugar for accelerating the fermentation; it is also possible to moderately increase the temperature, for example from 25°C to 35°C degrees; or it is also possible to oxygenate the fermenting liquid) ; said alcoholic degree of the obtained cider is preferably comprised from 5° to 10°, preferably, 7°;

iii) oxygenating the cider from the stage ii) after having put it into an any type of acetifier, for a suitable period of time, until a desired apple vinegar is obtained having a pre-determined acidity degree; said oxygenation is preferably carried out continuously, preferably by means of the well-known and used Schutzenbach method, see http : //www , treccani. it /enciclopedia/aceto (Enciclopedi a-Italiana) /; said oxygenating time into the acetifier is preferably comprised from 15 to 20 days (if necessary a suitable portion of mother of vinegar can be added into the vinegar) ; said pre-determined acidity degree is preferably comprised from 1,5° to 10°;

iv) mixing the apple vinegar of the stage iii) with red wine or red wine dregs and sugar (more preferably, raw-cane sugar) ; if necessary, further also with non alcoholic blueberry flavor, and concentrated blueberry juice; wherein said components have the same chemical- physical characteristics and are present in the same percentage amounts, by weight, respectively of the components from a) to d) previously described in the present description;

preferably said mixing is carried out under stirring, preferably mild (any type of known stirring is fine, for example, it is possible to use an air flow moving the liquid) , in a suitable container, such as a suitable stainless tank, for example 10 hectoliters; preferably, at about room temperature or at room temperature, for a pre-determined period of time, comprised, for example from 5 to 40 minutes, preferably, from 10 to 30 minutes, more preferably approximately 15 minutes, more preferably 15 minutes; v) pasteurizing the blend of iv) ;

preferably, at high temperature; preferably, by means of a suitable pasteurizer, suitably selected from the known and commonly on the market (such as plate, heat exchange; the classic cold bottling can be used and the subsequent "bain-marie" pasteurization) , wherein the preferred parameters of the pasteurization process are selected from the following:

temperature comprised from 70 °C to 90 °C, and off time comprised from 10" to 60";

preferably, said preferred parameters are selected from the following:

temperature comprised from 79,5°C to 81,5°C, and off time comprised from 20" to 30";

vi) if necessary, packaging said pasteurized blend of v) in sealed containers suitable for the subsequent use, such as, by way of non-limiting example, cans, bag in box, plastic bottles, box pallet and similar ones, of size and containment suitable for the desired final use.

If necessary, the apple vinegar of stage iii) ready for the use, can be temporarily put and stored in suitable containers, such as stainless-steel barrels of 100 hectoliters, before being mixed with the other components as above for forming the composition of the present invention.

As previously described in the present invention, the inventive composition described here proved to be extremely useful for monitoring and/or massively catching plant and/or fruit pests; in particular, preferably, small-fruit pest Drosophila suzukii midge. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the composition of the present invention is poured into traps for traditional insects of suitable size and controlled over time to check if and how the insect is attracted to it.

The traps can be of different types and can be appropriately selected from those commonly available on the market for other types of pests; or they can also be home-made traps and adapted to the purpose (for example, plastic bottles with holes of adequate size) .

A commercial trap which proved to be particularly functional is Profatec-Falle Brigitte Rist Peter-Paul- eg 28 D88410 Bad Wurzach/Einturnen.

In any case, as well known, the trap is formed by a container to be filled with the composition object of the invention and contains access holes through which the insect, attracted by the substance, enters the chamber where it remains trapped.

The procedure for using the composition of the present invention consists substantially in the following steps : 1. opening the insect traps;

2. pouring into every trap a desired amount of a composition of the invention, preferably, said amount being from 10 to 50 cl; more preferably 20 cl;

3. hanging the traps at a height of 50-150 cm, preferably 115 cm and at a reciprocal distance of 2-15 m; preferably 7 m, for monitoring the insect; or, at a height of 0,5-3 m; preferably, 2 m, for massively catching the same;

4. replacing the liquid inside the traps when the insects in there are too many, preferably each 3-15 days; more preferably, each 7 days, depending on the infestation degree.

Industrial applicability

The composition of the present invention proved to be particularly useful for monitoring and catching the small fruit pest, the midge Drosophila suzukii above all.